Under False Pretense
by mamorel
Summary: Takes place after Revenge of the Fallen: The military has found a way to make the transformers human. Warnings for rape, torture, & strong language in later chapters. I've only seen the movies, so please be gentle *not slash.* I do not own Transformers.
1. Chapter 1

Bumblebee looked at his shaggy blond hair in the mirror. It was unusual, the sensations he was experiencing. The clothing they had given him was itchy and too big. His face looked young, younger than Sam's anyway. He hadn't been allowed to see any of the others, not even Sam since Mecha 1 had made him human. He had spent almost two days as a human, his only contact was with the guards that brought him his food. He turned as the door to his room opened. An older man with graying dark brown hair stepped into the room. Was it a new guard? Had something happened to the others? He was about to ask the latter question when the man smiled. Bee would recognize that smile anywhere. His eyes lit up at the site of the now human autobot. "Prime, its you!" He ran to the older man and wrapped his arms around Optimus.

Optimus Prime hugged Bee, he was such a young human. "What's wrong, Bee? You're crying." He looked down into Bee's blue eyes. He seemed so much like a child. He was small as far as humans were concerned, and surprisingly delicate looking. He wasn't as big as the others as a transformer and Bee had been a warrior for long that Optimus often forgot how young his companion was.

He hugged Prime tighter to him. "I thought I lost you again. They wouldn't tell me anything. I didn't know if you were okay, or if something had happened. They wouldn't even let me see Sam."

"The humans had to take some precautions before we could be around them. Their first protocol is to protect their own. Prime wrapped his arms tighter around his young charge. "You're not going to lose me. Everyone is fine. We're going to meet with Simmons now."

"Are they going to let us go?" Bee stepped back from Optimus. His feelings were confusing him. He felt weak, almost lost without Prime. He had stood on his own before, so why did he feel so dependent on the autobots now?

Prime could see the fear and confusion in Bumblebee's eyes. "That is what we agreed upon." Prime turned from the fragile looking boy before him and went to the door, it felt odd to have looked at him as a warrior and guardian for so many years and to know look at the almost child like human before him. "The others are waiting for us." He led Bee down the hall with their military escort. They joined the others along with Sam and several military personnel. They sat down at the only two seats available. Bumblebee was loathe to stray too far from Optimus, but the seat next to Sam was alright too. He sat down and watched Prime sit at the table across from him next to two humans who could only be Sideswipe and Ratchet

"Bee, is that you?" Sam could hardly believe how young his former guardian was. He watched the blond smile and he knew it was. "I missed you, Bee." Sam hugged him briefly. Sam started to say something, but they both looked up as the door opened.

Simmons entered the room. Because of his role in helping defeat the fallen he had been reinstated and was working closely with the military. "As per your agreement to be de-mechanized we are going to integrate you into our society. Ratchet, Sideswipe, and Ironhide have elected to stay on with the military in hopes of working together to capture the decepticons still remaining at large. We have weaponized Mecha 1 for just such an occasion. Our current protocol is to actively seek out any remaining decepticons and humanize them. Optimus Prime and Bumblebee have chosen to pursue civilian lives and will be given identities and pasts which they can use to start real lives on planet earth."

Bumblebee stood up. "I haven't chosen anything. No one has spoken to me since you made me a human." As he looked at them, both Optimus and Sam looked away. Had they both known about this? Known that he wouldn't have a say so in anything that happened to him.

"You're the youngest of the autobot's Bumblebee. As far as the government is concerned even Sam's older than you. By our laws you're not even allowed to smoke, let alone make decisions of this magnitude." Bumblebee couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You're human now, son. I'm sorry, but certain compromises have to be made. If you were to stay here at the base, how would we explain you to the people who do random checks?"

Bee looked to Prime for help, but Optimus just motioned for him to sit down. Bee wanted to ask how they had explained giant robots to their superiors, but held his tongue. He grudgingly took his seat and let Simmons continue.

"As per our agreement you will be given civilian names and pasts. You must adhere to these identities and may not speak of the events that have occurred since your arrival to our planet. We don't know as of yet, if you will continue to age, but if not we will relocate you every few years."

"I can't say with Sam?" Bee could feel the anger in his cheeks. How could they do this? Just make all these decisions without him?

"You can't have any contact with Sam. He's done a lot for his country, but he needs to lead a normal life now." Simmons could see the anger flare in the young transformers eyes.

Bumblebee stood up. "I fought with you! Put my life on the line for you just like the other autobot's did and you're just going to take everything away from me?" He looked at the other autobot's for support, but none of them would meet his eyes. How could they do this to him?

"Sit down, Bumblebee." Prime's voice radiated authority and Bumblebee did as his was commanded.


	2. Chapter 2

Bumblebee pulled his yellow hood off as they climbed out of the car. The clothes they had gotten for his civilian life were much more comfortable. The military had picked out clothes for him that were considered age appropriate and therefore he found himself dressed much like Sam. Prime was tailored much more like Sam's parents. That was their identity now. Father and son, instead of commander and soldier. The neighborhood was quiet, a lot like Sam's had been. He assumed that most of the humans were still asleep at this early hour. He was uninterested in the history they had given him, but he had read and memorized it nonetheless. He was now Ben Prime, Human, 16 years old, the son of Octavius Prime, single father and accountant.

"It looks like a nice place. What do you think, Bee?" Prime watched Bumblebee lean against the car and pull his hood back up. He heard the car door slam as he led the way up the walkway to their new home and unlocked the door. The military had furnished the home nicely. It was more than adequate for the two of them. Bee dropped his bags just inside the door and sat down on the couch. "Bee, you're going to have to talk to me sooner or late." Prime sat down on the coffee table in front of Bumblebee. "I did what I thought was best for all of us."

"You didn't even give me a choice, Prime. None of you did. What if I'm stuck like this forever? I can live a hundred years on this planet and still be treated like a child." Bumblebee cursed himself silently. He sounded like a child the way he was complaining, but he couldn't help it. No one was listening to him and he could be stuck like this forever. They were making him go to high school. He remembered the problems that Sam had and wondered now if he would be doomed to that for the rest of his life.

"We'll figure something out. But for now at least we're not stuck at the base." Prime watched as Bee stood and stormed upstairs. He couldn't blame Bumblebee for being upset, but he could be handling it much better than this. He decided it was best to leave Bee alone for the night.

Bumblebee explored the upstairs area of the house and found the room that was his. A book bag sat by the computer and school books were piled up on the desk. He sat down and opened the first text book. Bee wanted to throw the books out the window. They were making him go to high school. He had learned all that he needed to know when they first came to this planet though the world wide web. Most of their science was flawed, only half thought out. Their math stopped short of reaching its fullest potential. Their music was decent, but repetitive. It seemed to him that they always stopped short of the glory that could be attained in all they endeavored. He closed the book and pulled out a notepad. He didn't really know what he was doing, but he let pencil meet paper and before he knew it, he had drawn Optimus Prime, not as an autobot but as a human. It wasn't half bad. When he looked up at the clock, he had spent over an hour on the detailed drawing. He smiled to himself and pulled out another piece of paper. This time he set out to draw Ironhide. He passed several hours just drawing, until he fell asleep at the desk. He woke up sometime later with a stitch in his side. He was unaccustomed to the pain he felt and he tried leaning back to stretch it out as he would the tension wires that had connected the joints when he was an autobot. He then decided to head downstairs for something to eat. When he looked out the windows he realized that he had drawn and slept most of the day away. Prime had cooked supper and set out a place for him and Bee.

"I was just getting ready to come get you." Prime set the plates of food down on the table and pulled out a chair. "I think this is going to take some getting used to. We need to remember to eat three times a day." Prime had spent over an hour trying to cook what these humans called a simple meal. Apparently some things about cooking were just understood and not in the directions, but it didn't look half bad.

Bumblebee sat down and started to pick at the food in front of him.

"You start school tomorrow, are you excited." Prime was startled by the angry look he received from Bumblebee.

"No." The truth that he hadn't wanted to admit was that he was a little afraid. He was going to be on his own, without Sam or any of the autobots.

"Think of it as reconnaissance." Prime chewed a piece of the noodle dish thoughtfully. Bumblebee was not as hard to read as he thought he was.

"What?" Bumblebee still hadn't touched his food, just moved it around on the plate.

"Being there all by yourself; just think of it as a reconnaissance mission. You'll do fine."


	3. Chapter 3

Bumblebee stepped quickly down the hallway to his first class. Several students bumped into him, nearly knocking him down before he reached his destination: English literature. He stepped into the almost full classroom and handed the teacher his paper.

"It's nice to meet you, Ben. I'm Mrs. Knockel, your English literature teacher. You can sit down any where you can find a free seat. Have you read Hamlet before?"

Bee had to think for a moment, he had read so much on the internet that he couldn't quite pull it all up as a human. He shook his head. It was better to remember it later than to say he had read it and forgotten it.

"I think you'll enjoy it. You look like an appreciator of good literature." She handed him a copy from her desk.

Bumblebee took the book and headed towards an empty seat. He didn't see the boy's foot lurch out until it was too late. He fell flat on his face, the book skidding across the floor a few feet. He eyed the student wearily, but said nothing as he stood up. He brushed off his jeans and went to pick up his book. When he reached out to pick it up another boy kicked it out of his reach. The boys chuckled softly.

"Mr. Davis, Mr. Edwards, I will see you both in detention this afternoon, now leave the new student alone." Mrs. Knockel was no stranger to the tricks the kids liked to play on the new students.

Bee grabbed his book and sat down. He tried to keep to himself, but it seemed like he shared most of his classes with the two students who had taken a liking to picking on him. He had learned that the dark haired one was named Drake and the blond haired one was Jared. At lunch he made his way through the line, letting the cafeteria workers slop food on his plate. None of it looked appetizing, but he had decided that he should eat regardless. He had almost made it to the table without incident when someone shoved him from behind. He managed to retain his balance, but the tray went flying. When he turned around he was face to face with Drake.

"Stand up for yourself, don't take his shit." This came from a girl off to his right. He could see her just on the edge of his peripheral vision. He knew better than to take his eyes off of his enemy, that was a rookie mistake.

"I'm not going to fight you." Bumblebee could see the confused look in his opponents eyes. "You're not worth the effort. If picking on me makes you feel better, then have fun. It doesn't bother me." Drake was standing with his mouth hung open when Bee walked away. He had used up the last of his patience with the duo today. He sat down in the hallway by his locker and waited for the bell to ring. He could feel the tears stinging behind his eyes, but he wouldn't let them fall. He was better than this. He had faced three decepticons on his own, and yet this human was upsetting him. He heard shoes clicking along the hallway and he looked up. The girl from the cafeteria was headed toward him.

She sat down on the floor next to him. "Drake and Jared are assholes. Don't pay attention to them." She held out half of her sandwich to him.

"Thanks, but I'm not really hungry anyways." He could see her green eyes light up with a laugh. Her red hair was pulled into a low ponytail and cascaded down her shoulders.

"I don't have cooties or anything, I promise. I'm Terry, by the way." She held out a hand to him. She liked the way his blond hair fell in his eyes as he looked away.

He shook her hand, trying to remember what 'cooties' meant. "I'm Ben. Most people just call me Bee, though."

"Why do they call you that?" She tried to give him her sandwich once again, but he just shook his head.

"I don't know." He probably shouldn't have told her that, but he was having a hard time remembering to answer to Ben. This would make it easier. She giggled and he found that he liked her laugh.

"Get away from my sister, geek." He heard Jared's voice come from near the cafeteria door. The warning seemed to echo down the hall to Bee's ears.

He stood up, preparing for a physical attack, but Terry stepped into Jared's way. "Leave him alone, Jared. You're not my boss or his for that matter. Mind your own business." She looped her arm through Bee's and tried to lead him off.

Bee saw Jared's fist fly through the air and he blocked it. He fought the urge to strike out at the human, but he was losing his patience. "Look, please just leave me alone. I can't afford to get into trouble now."

"Jared, knock it off!" She balled her fist and struck out at Jared's shoulder.

Bee walked off to his next class. He waited in the empty classroom until the bell rang. He kept to himself for the rest of the day and tried to avoid the goons who had hounded him all morning. When the last bell rang he quickly loaded his bag and hurried home. Prime was in the living room bent over a computer when Bumblebee walked in.

Prime looked up at the young autobot when he plopped down on the sofa. "How was school?"

"It sucked." Bee set his bag on the couch next to him and pulled out his books.

"Was it really that bad?" Prime stopped typing and watched as Bee started his homework.

"No. It was worse." Bee didn't look up at Prime.

"Bee, you have to give it a chance. Give it a few days and it'll start getting easier." Prime ran a hand through his graying hair.

"How would you know? I didn't see you there with me." Bee shoved the books back in his bag and hauled it upstairs. He tossed the bag on the bed. He should have started the homework, but every time he looked at the bag he thought of those two idiots who had harassed him today. He pulled the notebook out of the drawer and started to draw. When his stomach growled he decided it was time to go downstairs. He stopped just outside the kitchen when he heard Prim talking to someone. He leaned over to see who was in the kitchen. Prime was pacing in the kitchen, the phone against his ear.

"I really think one of you should come out and stay with Bumblebee for a while. I'm not sure this is the best arrangement." Prime was getting frustrated that Simmons was giving him the runaround.

Bumblebee stopped where he was, his hunger all but forgotten. Prime didn't want him anymore? He backed silently out of the room. If no one wanted him then he'd just have to make it on his own. He slipped out the door leaving everything and headed off towards the downtown district. He'd show them that he could stand on his own. He didn't need the autobots to protect him. He walked until the sun had set and the city lights surrounded him. He didn't know where to go so he plopped down on the bench at the park

A tall pale man sat down next to him, his dark eyes stood out on his white face. "You all by yourself, son?"

Bumblebee looked wearily at the man. He looked vaguely familiar, but Bumblebee couldn't place him. "I'm just on a walk. I figured I'd take a rest before I head home." He had started to stand when he felt a hand clamp something over his mouth. He struggled, but couldn't breathe and the world started to go black.


	4. Chapter 4

Bumblebee awoke with a headache. He found himself laying on the floor. His hand roamed over his face and down to his neck. The feel of the heavy chain alarmed him. He tried to stand up, but the chain wasn't long enough and he fell back down to his knees. He could see a pair of shiny shoes just on the edge of his vision.

"You know what the worst thing about being human is, autobot?" Megatron stepped forward, appraising the young looking boy before him.

Bumblebee trembled at the sound of Megatron's gravelly voice. He'd know it in any form. "What do you hope to gain from kidnapping me, Megatron?"

"Oh, I don't need you." Megatron sneered and kicked Bee in the ribs. He heard the satisfying crack as one the boy's ribs broke. "You're just a toy I've been waiting a long time to play with. Now answer the question."

Bumblebee felt the breath rush out of his lungs. His side was aching, but he managed to find the strength to speak. He fell over onto his side and looked up at Megatron. Megatron's pale skin almost glowed in the dim light."No. I don't know."

Megatron laughed and knelt down to whisper in Bumblebee's ear. "The human body can feel a much wider range of pain than a transformer." He could feel Bumblebee shaking beneath him. "This time no one will save you." He slammed the young autobot's face onto the concrete floor and relished in his small victory as the blood gushed from Bumblebee's nose.

Bumblebee coughed on the blood dripping into his mouth. He waited for Megatron to leave before wiping his nose on his sleeve. He pulled on the chain around his neck, but it wouldn't budge. He had to figure something out. Megatron would be back, and Bumblebee feared what he would do to him. He squeezed his now broken nose to stop the bleeding. It made his eyes water to hold his nose shut, but he had to stop the bleeding. Prime would... what? Prime hadn't wanted him, would Prime come looking for him? Even if he did would he even know where to look? Bumblebee sat back against the wall and listened to the silence. He could hear the door open at the top of the stairs, but it wasn't Megatron who came down the stairs, but a smaller, just as pale man. "I should have known it was you behind me. You always were Megatron's lap dog."

"Have your laughs now, autobot. You won't be laughing when he comes back." Starscream stood at the bottom of the stairs. Blood was drying in a trail from the boy's nose to his lip. Starscream tossed him the bottle of water he had carried down here. "Wouldn't want you to die before he's had his fun with you." He left without another word.

There was something in Starscream's eyes that Bumblebee couldn't place. He watched the unnaturally pale figure retreat up the stairs. He wondered if their skin pigmentation was a reaction to Mecha 1. It couldn't just be coincidence that both of the decepticons were unnaturally pale. Bumblebee was amazed at how different Megatron and Starscream had turned out. Other than their similarly pale complexions, they were vastly different. Megatron was built, even bigger than Ironhide, taller as well, and looked almost as old as Optimus. Starscream was more close to Bumblebee's own body type. He didn't seem to be all that much older than Bumblebee. Megatron's hair was a pale white blond, a stark contrast from Starscream's jet black hair. Bumblebee turned his thoughts from his captors to the bottle of water lying near his feet. Bumblebee knew he could dehydrate in as little as 72 hours and so he took a few sips of the water. He used a little to clean his face and set the bottle on the floor in case he needed it later.


	5. Chapter 5

Bumblebee had lost count of the days he had been here. Megatron had been merciless, but Starscream hadn't touched him. It seemed that Starscream wasn't as evil as Bee had always thought. When he'd woken up this morning, there had been half a sandwich lying on the floor next to his almost empty bottle of water. He knew that Megatron hadn't put it there.

Bee tried to keep his mind focused, but now he was crying; he couldn't help it. The heavy decepticon was sitting on torso, knees pinning Bee's arms at his sides. Megatron ran the blade down Bee's chest, letting the blood flow. He liked to watch it run down the human's sides. The boys whimpers only made it that much more enjoyable. The boy was weak from hunger, barely able to fight from the loss of so much of his precious blood. Megatron unpinned the boy's arms; by now they were too numb to be any use. He leaned in close and licked the blood as it flowed from the newest wound.

Bumblebee pumped his fists, desperately trying to regain feeling. He wanted to push Megatron off of him. The disgusting decepticon was licking him. He managed to raise one hand, he grabbed a handful of Megatron's hair and yanked on it. He was weak, he knew he wouldn't be able to hurt Megatron, but any small victory was better than no victory at this point. The decepticon backhanded him, he cried out as the man's hand whipped across his already broken nose. Bee had barely recovered from the first blow when Megatron's fist connected with his cheek.

"You've got a lot of fight in you, Autobot. I'll give you that." Megatron stood over the prone boy and unzipped his pants.

"You don't have to be a decepticon. It's your choice." Bumblebee's voice was hoarse and broken. His nose was bleeding again. Megatron laughed, but Starscream knew that Bumblebee's words were meant for him. Their eyes met and Starscream saw no blame in Bumblebee's blue eyes. He saw an emotion that was foreign to him, pity.

Starscream stood at the bottom of the stairs watching the scene play out before him. Megatron slammed Bumblebee's face into the floor. Megatron laughed at the autobot's futile attempts to sway him. Starscream couldn't watch this. He knew what Megatron had come down here for. He quickly disappeared around the corner and up the stairs, but he could hear Bumblebee's screams as Megatron raped him. Starscream felt his stomach lurch. He reached the bathroom just in time to release the contents of stomach into the toilet. He heaved until there was nothing left. He could still hear Bumblebee begging Megatron to stop. The world spun as Starscream sat with his back to the wall. Things hadn't felt wrong as a machine. He doubt he would have thought twice about the torture Megatron was subjecting the autobot to.

Megatron licked the blood from his lips. This worthless pile of metal was now an even more pathetic pile of flesh. "You disappoint me, Starscream. You've grown weak." Megatron stared down at the pale decepticon before him. His jet black hair had an almost purple hue in the weak light of the room. He knelt down in front of his protege and grabbed his neck. "I've found Soundwave. You will stay here and guard that pathetic excuse of a transformer, understood?" He watched the human on the floor before him nod his head. "Don't fail me Starscream, or I will leave you as the pathetic bag of flesh you are." Megatron released his contemptible cadet and walked away.


	6. Chapter 6

Prime thought he was going to be sick. Bumblebee looked dead as he lay on the floor. The chain around his neck had left thick bruises on the flesh. Prime ran to him, ignoring the military personnel around them. He fell to his knees and pulled Bumblebee into his lap. "Bee?"

Bee's face was a horrible mass of bruises and his nose was broken. Dark purple bruises covered most of his naked form. His chest was littered with cuts, the blood trails had dried running down his sides. Ratchet pulled off his coat and draped it over Bumblebee's body. He couldn't look at Prime and Bee together; couldn't stand to see Bee so hurt and Prime so broken. He turned his attention to Starscream. "Where's Megatron?" He slammed the smaller human against the wall.

The pain wasn't anything like mechanical damage. The wind rushed out of him. "I don't know. He said that Soundwave was still mechanized on the outskirts of town. He thought that Soundwave could reverse Mecha 1, make us all transformers again." Ratchet slammed him against the wall again. He couldn't blame them for being angry. He disgusted himself with how much he'd let Megatron get away with.

"Ratchet, leave him alone." Prime's voice was low, but steady, dangerously steady. The medics had strapped Bee to the stretcher and were preparing to wheel him out. "He brought us to Bumblebee."

Ratchet leaned in close to Strascream's ear. "You haven't changed, Decepticon." He released Starscream and walked over to Optimus Prime, who now stood in the middle of the room.

"Ratchet, take Ironhide and Starscream to the north end of town. It's industrial, if Soundwave is hiding out that's where he'd be. Sideswipe, you stay here with the military personnel in case Megatron comes back. I'm going back to the base with Bumblebee." Prime walked over to Simmons, who was packing up evidence in small plastic baggies and relayed their plan to him.

Sideswipe was proud of Prime's strong front. He knew it was killing Prime that Bee had been hurt so badly. It was painfully apparent when Bee let out a soft groan. Prime's face twisted with worry and he rushed to Bee's side. Sideswipe new it was hard for everyone in the room. Bee had been missing for almost a week. Prime had nearly lost his mind. He had sent them all out searching for any sign of the young autobot. Prime had searched tirelessly, following every small lead he could dig up.

"Bee, can you hear me? Open your eyes." Prime watched with great hope as Bee opened one eye. Prime could feel tears brimming in his eyes.

"I'm sorry..." Bee thought he was dreaming. Prime was here. How could Prime be here? Was he dead?

Prime captured Bee's face in his hands and kissed his forehead. "It's okay. We're going to take care of you." Prime walked alongside the stretcher and got into the ambulance with him.

"You heard the boss, lets move out." Ironhide grabbed Starscream and shoved him toward the door.


	7. Chapter 7

Prime watched the world go on around him; he felt disconnected from it. The autobots were reporting in to Simmons, but he hadn't heard anything for over 24 hours. The human doctors were doing everything in their power to save Bumblebee but none of it was working. He stared at the closed door. It felt like the doctor had been in there with Bee forever and he was stuck out here in limbo.

The doctor finally came out of Bee's room and Prime could see the worry etched on his face. "I'm sorry, but I don't know what to do. Something inside of him is interfering with our equipment. I can't get a good look inside him so I don't know what's wrong with him. He's just not responding to any of our treatments."

Prime stood up, towering over the young doctor. "You make us become human and then you just let us die?" Prime's voice was filed with rage. Was this how Megatron felt? Was this what the fallen had suspected all along? Prime walked past the helpless doctor and into Bee's room. He closed the door, shutting the doctor out of his thoughts. He had made this choice for them. He had opted to stay and they had all stayed because of him. There were no more autobots; only humans. Humans with the power to do nothing but sit back and watch as one of their own died. He brushed Bee's hair out of his face. He hadn't woken up since yesterday when he had apologized. It plagued Prime, why had Bee apologized? His phone rang. He glanced at the called ID and put it to his ear. "Ratchet?"

"Thought I'd give you an update. Megatron is still MIA. They're got Mecha 1 blasting at full capacity. If he's within 50 miles Soundwave will be human." Ratchet could hear the strain in Optimus Prime's voice.

"Ironhide can handle Starscream. We need you here. The doctor's can't help Bee. I need you to see what you can do for him." Prime paced back in forth in the tiny room. Ratchet was their last hope for saving Bumblebee.

Ratchet stood, frozen by what Prime had said. "The humans said..."

"The humans were wrong! We're not as human as they thought we were. He's dying, Ratchet." Prime could hear Ratchet breathing on the other end. He had sounded like Megatron for a moment there and Ratchet had heard it too.

"I'm on my way."

Prime sat back down on the chair next to Bumblebee's bed. He wanted to blame the humans, to blame anyone, but he knew whose fault it was. It was his own fault. He had trusted the humans. The others had merely followed their commander. If they hadn't taken all of Bee's choices away he would have been safe in the house. He wouldn't have run into Megatron or Starscream. Prime put his head in his hands and waited for Ratchet to come. It was all he could do.


	8. Chapter 8

The military had stationed Mecha 1 just outside the city limits. Ironhide and Starscream wandered around the industrial district on foot in the dying daylight.

"I can feel it." Starscream kept his voice low.

"Feel what?" Ironhide tensed up, preparing himself for Megatron or Soundwave. He kept his eyes open, patrolling the streets ahead of him, turning around occasionally searching the streets behind them.

"Mecha 1; I can feel it's signal. I'm sure Megatron can too." Starscream watched the large human with weary eyes. Megatron wasn't the only threat to him, the autobot's wanted to rip him to pieces too.

"If he can, then it's too late for Soundwave to be saved. That means our job is half done." Ironhide wondered if the decepticon was trying to distract him. It would be like them to use one soldier to snag another.

"If Soundwave is human, he could slip right past us. We'd never see him." They continued on in silence for a few more hours. They had been walking the industrial district for almost 15 hours. "I'm tired." Starscream yawned as they kept their path along the industrial district.

"Ask me if I care. Megatron's still out there." Ironhide stopped for a moment to stretch. He had to admit that he was tired as well. Their human bodies just weren't capable of what the metal ones were.

"Either he's not out here or he's spotted us and moved on." Starscream watched the larger than average man carefully, but was not prepared when the autobot grabbed him.

"Or this is all just some trick. I think we should just eliminate the middle man." Ironhide wanted to snap this miserable excuse for a life form's neck.

Starscream got loose of Ironhide's hold and stood his ground. If the autobot wanted a fight then he'd give him one. "I didn't know there was a choice. I was never told that I didn't have to be a decepticon. You can blame me all you want for what I've done, but I've got just as much to lose as you right now. If he's not here he'll be back at base before long and he'll know what I've done. He won't take a turncoat among his ranks. He'll destroy me." Starscream prepared for an assault, but their altercation was interrupted by Ironhide's phone.

Ironhide let it ring a few times as he stood indecisive as to whether or not to turn his back on the "former" decepticon. In the end the ringing phone won.

Starscream watched Ironhide turn around and answer the phone. He kept his eyes alert. It would be like Megatron to spring on them when they least expected it.

Ironhide closed his phone and turned to Starscream. "Something is going on with Prime and Bee. We're heading back to base."


	9. Chapter 9

"What do you mean you lied to them? How could you lie to them, after all they've done for us." Sam was furious as he and Simmons rode to the base. He watched the man squirm in his seat as their driver took them to the base just outside the city limits.

"They are technically humans. Just not as human as they thought they were. Nano technology is very difficult to explain, Sam." Simmons sat as stoically as possible, he knew he was fidgeting. He had known it was wrong to lie to them, but orders were orders. This was one possibility they hadn't anticipated.

"Bumblebee is dying and you don't know how to fix him. If he were human a doctor could make him better. You had no right to lie to him. None of you did; not after all they've done for us." Sam bit at his thumbnail as he contemplated the problem before him. Bumblebee was dying.

The car slowed to a stop and Simmons rolled down his widow. He showed his badge to the guard at the gate and they were waved through. "We'll figure this out, Sam." Simmons knew he was lying and he knew that Sam knew he was lying as well.

"No. No, you won't. You just want me to say goodbye to Bumblebee before he dies." Sam got out of the car, slamming the door and stood waiting for Simmons to lead the way. The two guards stationed at the entrance were looking at him curiously, but Sam didn't care. He was going to lose his best friend. He hadn't stood up for Bee. He was just as much to blame as the others.

Simmons got out of the car. "I'm sorry, Sam. We couldn't have anticipated this." When Sam didn't reply he lead him into the base.


	10. Chapter 10

"The Spark is still our life blood. You can feel it almost like a human can feet their heart. Bumblebee's spark is weak. It's too weak to help repair his body. If we were still transformers it would be as easy as joining his spark to a stronger one until it could heal itself. I don't even know where to begin now. We're not human and we're not transformers. I don't know what to do." Ratchet looked from Bumblebee to Prime. "They lied to us. If I had known that the spark was still so much a part of us I would have researched it more. But there's nothing I can do for Bee, not without a lot more research."

"Go into the hallway, Ratchet. Don't let anyone into the room, no matter what you hear." Prime's eyes were bloodshot, but he was determined. He could see the worried look on Ratchet's face. He was doubting his commander.

Ratchet looked worriedly at Bee, but did as his Prime told him. Prime had been lied to like the rest of them. It was time the autobots took care of their own.

After Ratchet left, Prime barricaded the door with a chair. He pulled out a scalpel from the medical drawer and sat down next to Bumblebee on the bed. He unbuttoned his now wrinkled shirt and tossed tossed it onto the floor with his vest and tie. He prepared himself for the pain and stabbed the scalpel into the flesh over his chest. His scream echoed in the small room. Through the pain he continued to cut until he could see the bones of his ribs. Just beyond them was a small light that was his spark. He was losing a lot of blood. The world started to sway, but he forced his mind to hold steady as he grabbed for Bee's hand. "Please let this work." His voice was a whisper in the wake of his screams. He slipped two of Bee's fingers into the hole in his chest until they touched the light.

Prime could see everything. He could feel the hurt and isolation that they had put Bee through. He could feel the betrayal Bee had felt as he had been told that his contributions to the human race Bee didn't matter. Prime had never felt that lonely before. Bee had heard part of his conversation with Ratchet. Bee had been terrified that they were all going to leave him alone; that they didn't want him... Bee was terrified of being a lone. It felt to Prime like he was flying through Bumblebee's memories. He could feel Megatron torturing him. With each hit, each cut the pain rocketed through Prime's body as if his own was being tortured. Wave after wave of memories flooded Prime until he felt he couldn't take any more. Random memories from the war, memories from when Bee was just a sparkling, all of it was hitting Prime at once. Prime wasn't aware of how much he was screaming and was oblivious to the banging and yelling just outside the room... He saw the gentle looks from the young decepticon as he had peaked in on the young autobot. He could see Starscream as Bee had, through his eyes. Prime Heard as Bumblebee told Starscream that he had a choice; and Prime was no longer angry with the humans. It was only because Starscream was human that Bumblebee's plea had been felt. If Starscream had still been a transformer Bumblebee's cries would have fallen of deaf ears... Prime wanted to close his eyes to what happened next. When they had first come to the Earth they had searched the world wide web for information and had come across hundreds of sites dedicated to different types of degradation and pain. Prime wanted none of it, but Bee hadn't responded yet; he couldn't let go. Prime could feel the tears hitting his hand as held Bee's fingers in his spark. His throat was hoarse now from screaming as he watched Bee lay on the deserted floor, believing that he was dying and he heard Bee call his name.

He felt it. He could feel Bee there with him. The pain in Prime's body was now a dull ache. Bee was looking up at him. Prime cupped Bee's face in a bloody hand. "You're okay."


	11. Chapter 11

"Open this door! Someone control him and get this door open now!" Simmons was in a fury. Someone was screaming and he wanted control of the situation.

"Ratchet he's here to help. You need to let us in." Sam stepped between Simmons and Ratchet. He knew he wouldn't get the autobot to open the door, but he had to try. Prime was screaming, was in pain and no one knew why.

"We trusted them, Sam. Look what they've done! This is autobot business and they need to leave it to us." Ratchet wanted to look strong, but damn his human emotions if he couldn't hide the worry that had been forming since the screaming had started. He had no idea what Prime was doing.

Sam could hear Prime's screaming again. "Do you trust him?" He watched Ratchet think for a moment and then slowly nod his head. Sam turned to Simmons. "Trust them, Simmons. They won't hurt one of us, yet alone one of their own." Simmons started to protest, but Sam stopped him. "We asked them to trust us, now they're asking for us to return the favor."

Simmons wanted control. It felt like a critical need, but Sam had a point. The transformers had always been loyal to them. It was time they returned the favor. He looked the military personnel ready to fire at his command. "Stand down. Let them deal with their own kind." Simmons motioned for them to leave and watched them retreat down the hall. He sat down on the floor across from the door and motioned for Sam and Ratchet to do the same.

Sam leaned in close to Ratchet. "What is Prime doing in there?" Sam looked worriedly at the door as Prime let out another howl.

"I don't know, Sam." They sat for what seemed like hours. The screaming had stopped suddenly, and now the silence was grating on Ratchet's nerves worse than the screaming had. "Sam, help me pry open the door."

Sam, Simmons, and Ratchet had worked on the door hinge until finally they pried it open enough to move the chair. Prime was sitting on the bed with Bee. The young autobot was crying against Prime's shoulder. A gaping wound in Prime's chest was slowly rebuilding itself.

Sam rushed past him to hug both Prime and Bumblebee. "Are you guys okay?" Sam had feared that this time he would lose not only Optimus Prime, but Bumblebee as well.

"We are healing, Sam. We'll both be fine." Prime was happy to see Sam. He kept his arm around the young autobot. He could feel Bumblebee's fear almost like it was his own.

"No thanks to Simmons. I don't know what I can do, but Mikaela and I will try to fix this, okay?" Sam spoke mostly to Bumblebee, who hadn't looked up since Sam had come in. Bee nodded slightly, clinging even tighter to Optimus.

Simmons took his cue and left them alone. He returned to his spot on the floor outside the room.

Prime's eyes were heavy. After all the worrying and searching, and pain he was exhausted. He laid back on the bed, his eyes heavy. "Bee, you should get some sleep." He felt Bee lay back, resting his head on Prime's good shoulder.

Bee watched as Sam and Ratchet retreated to the hallway to join Simmons. Prime had fallen asleep but sleep still eluded Bee. Though he was exhausted, he couldn't fall asleep. These new emotions were coursing through him. He hadn't thought any living thing could feel so many emotions. He felt ashamed, disgusted, hurt, angry, and scared. The biggest fear he had was Megatron. The decepticon had still eluded them as of this late hour. Bee wasn't sure how he knew that, but he did. He was angry with the humans for their deception, and worried about Starscream. Megatron would kill him for turning traitor. The newest feeling and by far the strongest, was his new feelings for Optimus. It was something that he couldn't quite place. There had always been a bond, but this was much stranger. Bumblebee feared letting go of Prime. He felt as though, if he let go of Prime he'd disappear. A light knock at the broken door brought Bumblebee from his thoughts.

Sam stepped into the room. He could see that Prime was sleeping; the last of his wound now closed. Bumblebee sat on the bed, his blue eyes, scared. "How you feeling?" Sam noticed that one hand was on Prime's arm. Bumblebee shrugged his shoulders. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when you needed me. I talked to Simmons and if you want to come out to college with me, you can. You don't have to but you can." He watched as Bee nodded his head. Sam couldn't stand to see Bumblebee so afraid but he didn't know what else to do.


	12. Chapter 12

Bumblebee sat facing the window. He was alone in his room while the others had their meeting. He knew that Optimus was angry. There were talks of trying to reverse Mecha 1 and then leaving the planet. But, even after what he'd been through Bee wasn't sure he wanted to become a machine again. No one asked him his opinion, the same as before, but this time he didn't complain.

"_There you are."_

Bumblebee turned around and saw no one in the room with him. He had heard it, hadn't he? Bee turned his attention back to the window and chalked it up to stress. He had turned a little too quickly and he felt the pain shoot down his legs. He drew his breath in quickly so he wouldn't cry out. He knew that Prime could feel his pain now. Ratchet had said something about their sparks being connected forever and that had something to do with their new shared feelings.

"_So much pain."_

"Who's there?" Bumblebee disregarded the pain he was feeling and turned around anyway. The room was still empty. He slowly made his way over to the door and pressed his ear against it. Was someone playing a trick on him? He turned his attention back to the window and looked out to see if someone was hiding below it. There was no one. Was he losing his mind? Bumblebee laid down on the small bed and pulled the covers up over him. His eyes darted around the room, he had heard someone. He was sure of it.

"_I'm here."_

Bumblebee felt it this time. The voice. It was a whisper inside his head. He had gone crazy. There was no explanation for it. He had simply lost his mind. The voice laughed.Bumblebee pulled the covers up over his head and tried to sleep. He was exhausted; that was all there was to it. He fell asleep wrapped in the warmth of the blankets. Bumblebee's dreams had been overrun by Megatron and Bee almost screamed as he was startled awake. It was Optimus' hand that startled Bee awake and now Bee found himself looking up into concerned brown eyes.

"Sorry, Bee. I didn't mean to scare you." Optimus sat on the edge of the bed and stared at Bumblebee. His eyes were terrified and he was covered in a sheen of sweat. Optimus could feel the young autobot's fear as his own. The dreams had scared him. He had felt it during the meeting as well. Ratchet was under the impression that because Prime had used his spark to revive Bee that they would always share this kind of bond. He could feel Bee's anxiety in the back of his mind. "What's bothering you, Bee?"

Bee thought for a moment. Should he tell Optimus about the voice he had heard? Or at least thought he heard. He listened for a moment to the silence in the room and decided that it had only been his imagination after all. "Just bad dreams. They haven't found him yet, have they?"

Optimus could hear the hope in Bee's voice. He shook his head. "No, they haven't found him yet. Skid and Mudflap are out canvasing the city with Sideswipe and Ironhide. They're talking about trying to reverse Mecha 1. What do you think?"

Bee was caught off guard but he didn't have to think long to find his answer. "I want to stay a human." He looked at Prime who smiled at him. He could feel Prime's approval even without the obvious smile.

"Then we stay human. At least, you and I will. I can't speak for..."

"_Humans are so weak..."_

"...the others. They will have to decide for themselves what they want to do. We're not even sure if it's possible at this point." Optimus had been looking out the window, but now could see how pale Bee was looking. "Ratchet's been working with the human scientists." Bee had gone pale all of a sudden and shiver ran down Optimus' spine. "Are you okay?"

He had heard it and Prime hadn't. "I'm not really feeling well." Bee laid back down and pulled the covers back over him. "Is Sam going to come see me?" Maybe Sam could give him some insight without having to bother all the others. Sam would keep his secret.

"I'll let you get some sleep then." Optimus patted Bee's hand and stood to leave. He looked back once more at the very pale human and shut the door.

Bee waited a few moments before sitting back up. He listened to the silence around him, wanting to make sure Optimus was gone before he spoke. His voice was quiet even in the small room. "Is someone there?" He waited for a few moments with no answer.

"_The other autobots are warriors. You'll only hold them back if you remain a human. Optimus Prime will follow you, to make sure you are taken care of. He will abandon the others."_

"Who are you?" Bee sat up and looked everywhere. Was he really talking to a voice in his head?

"_I'm you."_

Author's Note: Sorry this took so long. Chapter 12 was intended to be the last chapter and a little birdie buried an idea deep in my brain and it took over. So I completely redid the chapter. It may be a week or so until I get chapter 13 up, because I was ahead of the game and just proof-reading and now I have to write and catch up. Thanks for your patience and reading and reviewing!


	13. Chapter 13

Sam knocked on the door to Bee's room and let himself in. Bee and Starscream had been spending a lot of time together lately and Sam was concerned for Bee's safety. Even if Starscream had aided them in finding Bee, that didn't mean he'd turned over a new leaf. Sam was happy to find that Bee was alone. "Hey Bee, how's it going?"

The blond human shrugged his shoulders. Bumblebee had finally started feeling normal again. He wasn't so afraid anymore. He watched Sam sit down on the chair across from his bed. "Sam, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, Bee. Ask me anything." The military had requested that the autobots stay at the base until Megatron was located. Sam had protested, recounted all the ways the government had failed them,but Bee had insisted that they remain at the base. Bee was scared, no matter how brave a front he was trying to put up.

"Do you ever talk to yourself?" Bee was treading lightly. The last thing he wanted was for Sam to think that he'd gone crazy.

Sam looked curiously at Bee. "Sometimes, I guess I do. Why?"

Bee looked at Sam's brown eyes and saw how worried he was. Maybe talking to yourself was a bad thing. "I don't know. I was talking to myself the other day, and I wasn't sure if it was normal." Bee felt his ears grow hot as he lied to Sam.

"Yeah, I guess it is. I mean as long as your not hearing voices or anything." Sam chuckled to lighten the situation before he continued. "You're not like, hearing voices are you, Bee?"

Bee shook his head. "No. I'm not hearing voices."

"_Liar, liar...."_

"I'm feeling kind of tired, Sam. I think I'm going to lay down now." Bee watched Sam stand up and head to the door.

"When you're feeling better, Bee, I'll pick us up some take out and we'll hang out. Okay? Mikaela wants to see you too." Sam waved a hand and left Bee alone in his room.

"Are you still there?" Bee whispered quietly.

"_If you tell him, they'll lock you away for good."_

"Sam wouldn't do that." Bee thought about being locked in a cement cell like Rampage.

"_They will. You've seen how they distrust you. Even as humans they feel you're a threat to them."_

"What can I do? Optimus knows that somethings wrong with me. He's angry with them, but he still trusts them. He'll tell them about me, especially now that Sam knows there something wrong too." Bee stared out the window. Why was this happening to him?

"_You should run. Get out of here while you still can."_

"No." Bee shook his head vehemently. "I can't leave. Not after what happened last time. If I leave the base, Megatron will find me. He'll kill me this time."

"_You trust Starscream. Take him with you."_

"Starscream? They won't let him leave here. I'm lucky they let him visit with me. They want to lock him away for good for what he's done. It's only because of Optimus that he's not in a cell right now."

"_You're weak, Bumblebee. Always relying on someone else to protect you. They won't listen to Optimus forever. You should save Starscream while you can."_

"What do you mean? They won't hurt him. Optimus said..."

"_Do you really think the humans will listen to Optimus forever? You've seen what they do. After you all saved them the first time, they wanted you to leave. After you saved them a second time they forced you to become humans. They lied to you about being fully human! You think they won't stab you in the back again?"_

"I don't know. But Prime saved me. He won't let the humans hurt me."

"_He can't protect you forever."_

Bee felt the voice go away suddenly and it felt like there was a void in the room. "Hello?" The sudden departure of the voice startled him almost as much as the knock on the door. "Come in."

Starscream's pale form stood out against the dark grey of the cement walls. "Are you okay, Bee?"

Bee debated within his mind as to whether or not he should tell Starscream about the voice in his head. "Starscream..."

"Stan. They call me Stan now." The pale man sat down on the chair that Sam had occupied previously. He stared down at the black electronic device around his ankle. They humans were still worried that he was in league with Megatron and would try to escape.

"They gave you a human name?" Bee smiled at the implications of that.

"Yeah. Optimus Prime and Sam convinced the humans." Starscream noticed the troubled look on Bumblebee's face. "What's wrong?"

"Since you've become human, have you ever heard a voice talking to you?"

"What do you mean, like in my inside my head?" Starscream thought for a moment, wondering if Bee was joking with him. He looked serious enough though. "Are you?"

Bee could see that his question had unnerved Starscream as much as it had Sam. "No, I was just reading a character from the book could hear voices. I thought maybe it was something that happened to humans a lot.


	14. Chapter 14

"I don't care how you have to do it, but you find him!" Megatron hurled the chair across the room at the decepticon standing before him. Ever since they had come to this retched planet, it had been failure and failure. He was done with failure. He would not allow these pathetic decepticons to drag him down again. He would reverse that worthless machine and restore them all to their former glory and once he had done that he would stamp out the pathetic humans.

Soundwave stood up a little straighter. "I'll find him, but you have to give me time." Soundwave felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end as Megatron took another step towards him. Starscream's disloyalty had really set Megatron on edge and now he was lashing out at the only other decepticon he'd been able to find. Soundwave and Megatron squared off for a moment before Megatron turned and left the room. He did so, not out of defeat, but out of frustration. Soundwave was his only hope of finding the others. Soundwave let out an audible sigh as he sat down on the dirty floor and closed his eyes. He could feel the others out there in the city; he simply had to locate them. Soundwave had thought he had a bead on Blackout, but Megatron had interrupted him. Megatron was insistent on retaliation first, tactics second, it would be his downfall if they weren't careful. Soundwave could hear vague mumblings in his mind which he took to be the humans. He couldn't seem to focus on the humans and he figured that was good. It made his job easier; he had less noise to sift through. Suddenly, he felt something like a punch in he gut. It took all his concentration to keep his mind focused. He could hear thoughts, frightened thoughts about Megatron, but it wasn't Starscream. He focused his mind on the words.

"_He'll find me again... He'll kill me when he finds me...." _Bumblebee was seeking him out again. Soundwave couldn't help but smile at this notion.

Megatron had with great pride recounted how they'd captured and tortured the young autobot. Soundwave was sorry he'd missed all the fun. It was a pity that they were now seeking to destroy Starscream, but he seemed to have lost his nerve. Yesterday he had found out that the autobots were seeking to reverse Mecha 1. Megatron had been quite pleased to find out that little bit of information. Soundwave kept his mind silent as he listened to Bumblebee's thoughts and he could feel someone else in these thoughts, not exactly listening in, but aware of the feelings behind them. This other cybertronian interested Soundwave greatly. Was he aware of Soundwave? Why was he constantly in Bumblebee's thoughts. How had he gained this ability? Soundwave had speculated that if they weren't completely human, the only thing likely to remain was their spark. If one of the autobots had joined sparks with Bumblebee to save his life, it was possible that he was the other being in the young autobot's thoughts. Only one autobot would have been able to withstand the pain and information sharing a coupling of sparks would have produced; Optimus Prime. Soundwave closed his eyes once more and focused his thoughts on the young autobot. He could hear Megatron pacing just outside the door and the repetition was distracting. "What are you afraid of? The others will protect you." He was so close to getting the young autobot and his little decepticon friend off of the military base and back into the city.

"_They won't be able to. He'll find a way."_

Soundwave was aware that Megatron had once again entered the room. "If you become a transformer again, you won't have to worry about him. You should shed your human form." Soundwave broke his connection from Bumblebee. He could feel other cybertronians near him. "They have him heavily guarded, just to the west of the city. I think Black Out is somewhere in the city too. I would have had him if you hadn't interrupted earlier."

"What about Starscream?" Megatron paced in front of the pale human before him.

"Starscream is with Bumblebee. I'm working on getting them to leave the base. If they leave the base we can get to them. The humans are working on reversing Mecha One and if they do that, it will save us a lot of trouble." Soundwave stood back up and brushed off his pants. This pathetic form was so demanding. It was always hungry or in need of rest. "I'm desire sleep, I'm going to go lay down." Soundwave left Megatron standing in the room. Hopefully this ruse would keep Megatron out of his hair as he sought to find Blackout. Once Soundwave was closed off in his room he sat down on the floor and began sifting through the haze of humans.

"_Damn rotten humans. Just wait until I get through with them."_

"Soundwave acknowledges." He could feel the decepticon startle for a moment. He couldn't help the grin that broke out on his face. These hapless bags of flesh and bones had almost no self control what so ever. He straightened his face and prepared to speak again. "What is your location?"


	15. Chapter 15

Starscream stood outside the door, hesitating before he found the courage to knock. When he knocked, Optimus' voice called for him to enter the room. He had thought that the leader of the autobots would command a greater room than either he or Bumblebee had, but the room he stepped into was just as plain as his own. Optimus was sitting at a desk when Starscream came in.

"What is it, Stan?" Optimus watched the young cybertronian carefully. He had petitioned for the former decepticon's freedom, but was not ready to trust him whole heartedly.

Starscream stood for a moment, thinking about how best he could relay his fears to the Prime. "I think that something is wrong with Bumblebee."

Optimus studied the former decepticon carefully. He had learned his lesson about trusting the humans and wasn't going to make the same mistake by giving Starscream too much information. "I know."

"You know?" Starscream didn't advance any farther in the room. Had Bumblebee already told Prime? Were they spying on Bee? Starscream's mind raced with all the possibilities. If they were spying on Bee, what would stop them from spying on him or Prime?

"When Bumblebee and I joined our sparks, we connected to each other. I can't hear his thoughts but I can feel them." Prime stopped himself before he said too much. In truth, he had felt something dark in Bee's thoughts, something that had him worried as well. Prime was about to speak when a loud crash in the hallway drew both his and Starscream's attention. Prime rushed to the doorway, and looked out into the hall.

Skid and Mudflap were standing amidst a small pile of rubble that had once been a cement wall. Skid was the first to turn and see Prime staring at them. "It wasn't my fault. Mudflap did it."

Mudflap's arm flew out and knocked Skid onto the ground. "I didn't do it. You were the one that said..." Mudflap's words were cut off as Skid's leg kicked out, knocking him onto the ground as well.

"Listen here you rusty motor..." Skid and Mudflap continued to wrestle on the ground until Optimus had closed the distance and stood directly above them.

"What is going on here?" Optimus' voice commanded their attention immediately.

Skid and Mudflap were tangled around each other on the floor when Optimus' voice boomed in the hallway. They froze for a moment and instantly separated, standing, almost bashfully before him. Mudflap was the first to speak. "We didn't mean it."

"Yeah, Ratchet said..." Skid started to continue when Optimus interrupted him.

"Riley. His name is Riley. We must use our human names now." Optimus towered over the two comedians before him.

"Riley said he wanted to test out this new explosive and Mark thought...." Skid could see Prime's face grow red and he quieted instantly.

"Explosive? You two were fooling around in a hallway full of humans with an explosive!"

"It was only a gas grenade. Scott said that it would be okay." Skid was unprepared for Mudflap's jab.

"I didn't say nothing! The cement wasn't the bomb, though. That was the..." Mudflap looked heatedly at Skid.

"You two are not machines anymore. Your bodies are fragile now. You can't just go running around playing with explosives. Especially while we're here. Go to your rooms and from now on stay out of trouble!" Prime watched the two autobots stare down at the ground for a moment. "Now!" Prime watched the two scurry off down the hall before turning his attention back to Starscream. He stood in the doorway where he had watched the whole scene transpire.

"Well, they keep things interesting around here don't they?" Starscream's eyes surveyed the damage. It wasn't as bad as it had looked when the hallway had been full of smoke.

"Rat... Riley should have known better than to give a prototype to those two. They destroy everything they touch." Prime walked past Starscream and into his room. He had already confided his worries in Ratchet. "As I was saying, I have a handle on the situation. I would appreciate if you not discuss it with Ben until I have more information." Prime motioned for Starscream to take a seat.

"He asked me if I'd ever heard a voice talking to me." Starscream sat down, and folded his hands in his lap. "I have."

Prime looked up at Starscream. "You have?"

Starscream nodded. "That was how we located Soundwave. He seemed to be able to get into our heads; talk to us through our thoughts. I could feel him inside my head sometimes just listening as I sat there thinking."

"Did he know that you were uncomfortable with Megatron torturing Bee?" Prime leaned against the desk facing Starscream.

Starscream felt his face grow red from shame. "I tried to hide it from him, but I think he knew. I think that was why they didn't tell me where they were meeting. If it's Soundwave, we need tell Bee."

"Ben. His name is Ben now and we shouldn't tell him about Soundwave." Prime stood up and walked to the door. "We need to keep this quiet Starscream. We can use this to lure Megatron and Soundwave out into the open."

"You're going to use him as bait?" Starscream looked over at Prime. How could they do that to one of their own?

"No. But we can't live here at the base forever. They will most likely try to spring an ambush at our place of residence. If we tell Ben he may alert them to what we know." He watched from the doorway as Starscream stood up and closed the distance between them.

"Isn't it the same thing?"


	16. Chapter 16

"These pathetic pieces of flesh always need something." Megatron paced the hallway outside of the room where Soundwave had secluded himself away. Ignoring his growling stomach, Megatron placed his ear to the door, trying to hear Soundwave's mumbling. When he was met with only silence Megatron stormed off down the hallway.

Soundwave waited for the familiar stomping of Megatron as he retreated from the doorway before turning his full attention to Bumblebee's thoughts. He could feel the anxious tension in Bee's thoughts. "Some thing's wrong." He could almost feel the young autobot startle.

"_The military doesn't want us on the base anymore. They're sending us home tomorrow."_

Soundwave had to fight the urge to ask which home. Had they found a way to reverse Mecha 1? "And..."

"_If we go home, then Megatron can find me again. Prime and Starscream can't protect me from him. I know he'll come for me. He'll kill me this time. And he'll kill Starscream too..."_

Soundwave could feel Bumblebee crying. "The military will help them protect you. They promised to help you."

"_After what Skid and Mudflap did, they don't want anything to do with us. They just want us gone."_

"Give Optimus some time. He'll reason with them." Soundwave could feel the smile breaking out on his face and had to fight to keep the optimism out of his voice. He could feel the young autobot falling asleep. It was like drifting in space until you could no longer see the sun. He stood up and opened the door. The hallway was deserted; it's dank, crumbling walls were the only witness he had. Soundwave loathed to leave the silence, but Megatron must be alerted to the autobot plans.

Megatron was shoveling slices of cold meat into his mouth. The sight both enticed and disgusted Soundwave. It was sickening what these humans had to do to survive. Soundwave took the chair next to Megatron and grabbed a few pieces himself. "The autobot's are going home tomorrow."

"The humans will be waiting to ambush us." Megatron looked vacantly out the window; his eyes were somewhere far away.

"This could be our chance to take out Optimus." Soundwave rolled the cold slice of meat between his fingers. "This could be the opportunity you have been waiting for."

"No. Prime is no longer a threat. I want Bumblebee and Starscream. I want to watch them die." Megatron's lips curled up into a sneer as he though of that traitor dying in his own blood.

"It would be suicide to show up while the military is there. We should wait until they are settled. Kill them while they sleep." Soundwave didn't like the tone in Megatron's voice.

"And continue to live as a human? Are you happy in your new fleshy body, Soundwave? If you don't want to go, I'll take Blackout with me. I know he's as unhappy of this useless body as I am." Megatron stood up and walked out of the room and left Soundwave to ponder his options.


	17. Chapter 17

Bumblebee stood on shaky legs as he got out of the car. Prime and Sam had escorted him home, along with Starscream. Military guards were stationed around the perimeter in anticipation of an attack. It didn't feel like coming home. To Bumblebee it felt like being used as bait. They had shut off Mecha 1 in an attempt to lure Megatron and Soundwave into the city. Megatron's profile had been plastered across the television for the last ten hours. Suddenly, Bee was terrified of going into the house. He knew they were waiting for him. Starscream and Prime had told him as much.

"Bee, come on, it's not safe out here for you." Sam tugged gently on the young autobot's arm, trying to coax him forward. Bee had refused the military escort home. He had bee adamant about it only being Prime, Sam, and Starscream. Sam couldn't blame Bee for not trusting the humans, especially when Sam didn't trust them, himself. Sam wasn't sure he trusted Starscream either, but it had to be Bumblebee's choice if he was ever going to trust the humans again.

"It's not safe in there either." Bumblebee slowly forced his legs forward. It felt like his legs had rusted together at the joints, but he made himself walk.

"But out here we're completely vulnerable to attack." Starscream walked slightly ahead, his eyes alert for any signs of the decepticons. He disliked this, but the humans had talked Bee into believing it was the only way for them to catch Megatron. In all honesty, they were probably right.

It unnerved Optimus Prime that Bee had taken to the decepticon. As fas as he was concerned Starscream was just as guilty as Megatron, but Bumblebee clung to him like a Saviour. He supposed that it was simply old habits dying hard. They were almost to the door when Prime felt him. Somehow he knew and spun around. Starscream had felt it too. Neither of them was how Prime had envisioned them. They stood, two pale figures backed by the trees. Prime saw their weapons, and moved Sam behind him. He was too far from Bee to guard him. Prime felt like he had lost his hearing and everyone was moving in slow motion. The military personnel had exited their vehicles, but he couldn't hear them shouting at the decepticons. They were moving too slowly; they wouldn't make it in time. Starscream had been right. This had been a bad idea. Megatron fired the first shot. Prime had assumed that Megatron would take this opportunity to take him out; he hadn't expected the decepticon to shoot at Bee. The first shot missed Bee by inches. Optimus assumed that they had trained themselves in the use of human weapons just as the autobots had done. Before Optimus could move, Megatron fired off a second shot. For a moment Prime thought he'd lose Bee. Prime knew that neither of them were strong enough to merge again. He watched, rooted to the ground as blood spattered onto Bee's face.

Starscream had stepped in front of Bumblebee. Megatron's bullet had ripped into Starscream's chest, pushing his body back against Bee's and knocking them both to the ground. Prime's hearing seemed to come back as a hail of bullets fired on the two decepticons. Starscream's body lay in Bee's arms. Prime watched as Megatron and the other decepticon fell to their own deaths under the stream of bullets fired from the military vehicles. He knew they hadn't come to make their last stand. They had come to take Bee's life and then join him in death, rather than live as the humans they so despised. Prime felt his legs come back to him and he rushed to Bee's side. Blood covered Starscream's lips, and the hole in his chest where his spark should be was flowing with crimson blood. Starscream's eyes stared unseeing into the sky above him.

"Starscream!" Bee was crying, his face buried against the former decepticon's hair. Bumblebee looked up at Prime for a brief moment, but he knew that it was too late. No one could save Starscream. Prime wrapped an arm around the young autobot and with the other, closed the eyes of the autobot who had saved Bee's life

FIN


End file.
